1997 Numbers Championships

 

Solo balls

1. Bruce Sarafian (9 balls 24 catches~

2. Peter Blanchard (9 balls 19 catches~

3. Greg Warrington (8 balls 16 catches)

Also competing: Rick Frischia, Jesse Joyner, Mike Price, Toby Rademacher, Scott Sorensen

 

Solo clubs

1. Darin Marriott (6 clubs 17 catches)

2. Scott Sorensen (6 clubs 12 catches)

Rob Vancko qualified in prelims

Also competing: Luke Jay

 

Solo rings

1. Scott Sorensen (8 rings 19 catches)

2. Todd Blair (8 rings 17 catches)

3. Toby Rademacher (7 rings 18 catches)

Also competing: Peter Blanchard, Luke Jay

 

Duo balls

1. * Joey Cousin/Bruce Sarafian (13 balls 176 catches)

2. Allen Knutson/Greg Warrington (13 balls 53 catches)

3. Omri BarelfMilan deVries (12 balls 48 catches)

Also competing: Peter Kaseman/Rob Vancko

 

Duo clubs

1. Heather Hackett-Brinegar/Darin Marriott (10 clubs 104 catches)

2. Owen Morse/Jon Wee (10 clubs 63 catches)

 

Duo rings

1. Charlie Peachock/Mark Peachock (11 rings 67 catches)

2. Joey Cousin/Jason Kariotis (10 rings 96 catches)

3. Todd Blair/John Nations (10 rings 88 catches)

Also competing: David Cain/Scott Sorensen

 

Trio clubs

1. * David Cain/Scott Cain/Jack Kalvan (13 clubs 184 catches)

2. Heather Hackett-Brinegar/Matt Jergins/Darin Marriott (13 clubs 106 catches)

3. Michael Karlovich/Adam Smith/Nathan Williams (13 clubs 78 catches)

 

Solo ball bouncing

1. Ram Prasad (8 balls, 41 catches)

2 (tie). Ben Jennings & Hannes Molkenthin (8 balls, 36 catches)

Also competing: Falk Hante

 

Duo ball bouncing

1. * Morten Hansen/Ben Jennings (15 balls 86 catches)

2. Fran Favorini/Fred Strempel (13 balls 108 catches)

2. Brett Goldstein/Ram Prasad (12 balls 52 catches)

 

* - New IJA record

 

IJA Hosts "The World of Yo" Championships

For six consecutive years the IJA Festival has hosted the World Yo­Yo Championships. The competition includes both compulsory tricks of increasing difficulty and the ever more popular freestyle performances. The popularity of the yo-yo is growing "around the world" and the level of expertise is "reaching the moon," so these competitions have become exciting spectator events - especially the freestyle performances. Fifty-five competitors entered five different divisions this year, arriving from places as distant as Japan and Germany.

 

Much like juggling, no one has a natural advantage in yo-yoing. Although most of the earlier champions were men past age 50, the youngsters are now holding their own in the winners circle: 14-year-old Alex Garcia of Hawaii won second place this year and 16-year-old Jennifer Baybrook of Vermont earned third place. Go kids!

 

Added to the compulsory and freestyle events are more freewheeling yo-yo events. For instance, first at the finish line after running 100 meters with a looping yo-yo was Kenichi Nakamura of Japan. The winner with both hands looping and both legs flying for the same 100 meters was Alex Garcia of Hawaii. Topping it off was the up, up and away high toss winner, Nalukai Hookano of Hawaii.

 

Pro/Am Grand Championship

1. Billde Boisblanc

2. Alex Garcia

3. Jennifer Baybrook

4. Dale Myrberg

5. Hans Van Dan Eben

6. Paul Buethe

7. Paul Han

8. Dave Schulte

9. Chuck Short

 

Masters Freestyle (one-handed)

1. Nalukai Hookano

2. Yves Young

3. Steve Brown

4. Nichola.s Van Derschie

5. Mick Lunzer

 

Masters Compulsory

1. Jason Tracy

2. Kenichi Nakamura

3. Nalukai Hookano

4. Steve Brown

5. Yves Young